Bloody Water
by Kimmie G914
Summary: Thirteen year old Dylila Gardens has been living in District 4 her whole life. Her brother, Jeremy, and her mother have been over-seeing her growth and she had a happy life. But what happens when she's picked for the Hunger Games, and there's no Career to save her? With an unexpected twist, Dylila isn't sure if she'll survive. Rated T for Hunger Games!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys!**

**So, I've been thinking about writing this story for about...two days, I think, I have a really good idea for it! ****I hope you like it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1

"Oh, come on, Dyla, it's not scary or anything!" my brother chided.

I stared down at the ocean below us and backed away slowly. "Just because we're fisherman doesn't mean I'm brave."

"It's your home, Dylila, there's nothing to be scared of," he replied.

"But, Jeremy, I am scared. What kind of fish do you usually catch?" I asked as I looked back down past the cliff's edge at the blue shining water with the glimpse of green in the light.

"I'm not a Ship Captain or a Fisherman yet. I'm not even a Deckhand yet, but I'll get there," he said quietly.

"You're a Canner, right?" I asked. I could feel the soft cliff grass between my bare toes as I turned to look at him.

He nodded.

I looked down at myself. With my shorts stained green from grass stains, the blue barely peaking out, I looked like I train wreck.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to, but you…can, if you do. Don't let me change your mind," he said softly.

I knew he was talking about more than the cliff jump.

I couldn't meet his gaze, but I had to ask. "Did they ask you, too?"

There was a long silence. A very long silence. Then he finally sighed. "Yeah, they did. Dylila, you didn't say yes, did you?"

I looked up at him. His amber eyes were shining with worry.

"Of course not. I don't want to go into the Hunger Games." I looked back over at the edge of the cliff.

"Okay, Dyla," he whispered. "Do you want-"

"I want to jump," I cut him off. "But can I?"

"If you want to, then of course you can," he smiled at me.

I stepped up to the edge once more, and my toes hung off. I curled my toes to try to cling to the edge, and I knew then I couldn't do it.

I shook my head. "Another day," I told myself and turned away.

"Well, I'll do it," Jeremy walked up to the edge, took a deep breath, and swan dived off the cliff's edge.

I watched him go down until he flew gracefully into the water. It was as if he didn't make a splash.

He appeared above the surface a few feet away from where he entered the water, and was treading to keep himself up. He smiled at me, and I could see a piece of seaweed clinging to his soaked blonde hair.

I pointed to my own blonde hair, and he felt around his hair until he found it.

I made a triangle with my thumbs and index fingers, which was our symbol for "I'm going home" when one of us was too far away for the other to hear.

He gave me a thumbs up to show he understood, then he made a walking motion with his middle and index finger that meant "meet you there."

I turned, grabbed my shoes and ran down the cliff, away from my brother and away from the water that was so blue…so green that you couldn't even tell what was beyond its beauty.

* * *

I reached our small house quickly. I walked inside and dropped my shoes on the matt in front of our door. I walked past the dark wooden staircase and down the tiled floor of our thin hallway.

I walked through the open wooden doorway and into our small living room. The teal couch was the first thing I saw, pressed against the light green accent wall, against all the other dark green ones, across from the door. I walked in and sat on couch. Across from the couch, next to the open doorway were two teal chairs that matched the couch, angled slightly inward toward the small coffee table in between them. They were all in front of this big bookcase filled with books.

On the wall to the left of the chairs were tons of pictures in teal and light green frames hanging on the wall, and a dark wood table will flowers and a picture of my mom, Jeremy and me.

On the wall to the right of the chairs was a half wall, with a small opening to get into the kitchen.

"Honey, is that you?" my mom called.

"It's me, Mom," I called back to her.

She came through the gap that she insisted on calling a doorway, and asked, "Where's Jeremy?"

"He…" I tried to make up an excuse for Jeremy. Mom didn't want us jumping off that cliff without anyone else around.

Then he door opened and Jeremy called, "Hey, I'm home."

"Oh, Jeremy," our mother turned around to see him come in the door. He cocked his head to one side, which meant, "What have you told her?"

I shook my head.

"I was picking some seaweed," he held out his hands and I saw two huge bundles of seaweed. "I was thinking about cooking tonight."

"That's so sweet, Jeremy, but you don't have to do that!" she smiled at her son. "If anyone should learn to cook it would be your sister."

"Um, I'm still here, you know!" I said angrily. "And cooking is boring."

"It's okay, Mom, you don't need to pressure her. We should be happy she's still here," Jeremy replied.

Mom looked at the floor. "Why can't you just forget about that, Jeremy? It would make life so much easier if you didn't bring it up…"

"It reminds me that anything can happen to anyone," he said quietly. "I don't want to forget that lesson."

He walked into the kitchen and I could see him through the half wall. "I'm going to start cooking now, okay?"

Mom nodded. "I'll help," and she followed him in.

I sat alone in room again, hearing nothing but the soft gush of water from our sink and some slow knife strikes against our wooden cutting board.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking about it now.

_FLASHBACK_

_ "Dylila Gardens."_

_ I was shocked. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. My first year in, and…I'm picked? The crowd started to part for me because I wasn't moving._

_ "I volunteer," an eighteen year-old girl from behind me says. _

A Career_¸ I thought, relief flooding through me. _I didn't think they'd had any females ready this year…

_ She walked up to the stage and said her name._

_ I was safe._

_ For now._

I shivered.

I got up and walked back over to the stairs. I climbed up and walked down the hallway until I reach the bathroom.

I looked in the mirror at my face. My blonde hair, like my mother's and my brother's, but my eyes.

Not amber, like theirs, but a dark shade of blue with golden flecks decorating the color.

I was picked last year. I was thirteen now. My brother was fifteen. The flecks came the day after the Reaping.

One thought kept running through my mind. _What would have happened if I had gone?_

I couldn't think like that. I couldn't afford to think like that.

They said I should want to be prepared, since I'd already been so close to death.

When I'd refused, they'd said I would regret my decision, that I would pay.

I hoped they were wrong.

* * *

**And that's chapter one! I hope you liked it, I'll try to update soon, I'm really loving this story, so I hope you like it as much as I do!**

**Thanks for Reading!**


	2. The Reaping

**The ever waited for Reaping! I hope you guys like it, it's about to get all dramatic in here!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2

The Reaping

I woke up and stared at my ceiling. I didn't even really want that day to come. I was going to have to go back into the pool of scared children. I wasn't going to get picked both times, but I couldn't be sure.

I got up, made by bed, and then washed my face in the bathroom. The sun had barely risen and I could see my brother's bed was made and he wasn't upstairs.

He was probably out at the cliff. He liked to sit there in the mornings when he was stressed.

I turned on the faucet in the dark and stuck my hands under the cool water.

I cupped some in my hands and splashed it on my face. I took some slowly breaths, then flipped on the light switch.

I looked at my reflection in the small mirror. The frame caught my eye again. Under all the seashells we'd pasted there over the years, it was painted blue.

I reached a finger out and touched a spiral purple and red one that I'd stuck on there when I was seven.

I pulled away from the mirror and left the bathroom, flicking the light off behind me.

I got dressed in my room quickly and set out quietly to find my brother.

I ran silently over the grass, passed the docks, over the fallen tree, under the flow hanging branches of the small bundle of trees that gave way to the clearing that was the cliff.

Sure enough, my blonde haired brother was sitting on the edge, staring at the sunrise, the top of the sun beginning to peak out from the water's edge.

I came up behind him and asked, "Mind if I join you?"

He nodded.

I sat down next to him and swung my feet slowly.

"I didn't expect you to be up so early," he said quietly, turning to look at me.

"I know when my family is stressed, Jeremy," I sighed.

He looked back at the ocean. "They said…they said I'd pay. For saying no."

"They told me so as well. What are you expecting?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I can't think of anything right now."

I nodded. "All we can do is wait and see, right?"

"I guess."

We sat and watched the run rise together, then we walked back toward our house. We stopped by the docks to pick some more seaweed. Our mom liked to play with seaweed and my hair.

* * *

We came in the front door and Jeremy called, "Mom?"

"Why do you do that to me?" she whispered.

We walked into the living room, and she was sitting on the couch. "I walked into your room, Jeremy, and you weren't there, and when I went to check on your sister, she wasn't there, either, and I just…"

_Why do you always talk to him about me like I'm not there? _I wanted to ask, but I kept my mouth shut.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Jeremy said. "We just went to get this." He held out the seaweed, and I held out mine, too. "We know how you like to decorate Dylila and your hair with this, so we thought we'd spare you the trouble of asking us."

_Why do I need to have my brother around to talk to my own mother? _I thought, shaming myself for my cowardliness.

"You are so thoughtful, Jeremy," she got up and gave him a hug. I stepped out of their way.

I stood there awkwardly, waiting for their moment to be finished.

Our mom pulled away first, then she turned to me and whispered, "I have something nice for you to wear. Please go freshen up."

I walked into the bathroom and took a bath. A quick one, even though I washed my hair.

Once I arrived in my room, there was a teal and dark blue dress laying out on my bed, the teal covered in sparkles.

I pulled it on over my damp hair. I found some shoes that looked like they were made of teal coral by my bed and pulled them on.

My mother came in and smiled at me. She pushed me over to my full-length mirror, the frame also decorated with sea shells, and I looked at my reflection.

My mouth hung open. The dark blue really made the blue of my eyes seem original, and the shimmery teal straps and chest made the gold sparkle.

My mother smiled at me and whispered, "You look really nice, Dylila."

I wanted to mention that this seemed like the first time she'd spoken to me directly in a long time.

She tore a piece of seaweed into thin strips, and then took two small pieces of my hair from the front. She braided the seaweed and the two pieces of my blonde hair and pulled it around my head and pinned it in the back with an amber colored bobby pin.

She pulled some of my hair out from under the braid in the back and covered the bobby pin and the end of the braid.

She took two of the other big pieces of seaweed she brought and placed them under the braid and covered the top of the seaweed with some of my hair.

She duplicated this with the other side of my head until I had seaweed braided and placed through most of my hair.

When I looked in the mirror again I smiled. I looked even better than before, but this time it didn't shock me.

"Beautiful, I know," my mother beamed.

She liked to say she used to be a stylist in another life.

She pulled away from me and went to go help Jeremy.

I touched a slimy piece of seaweed in my hair and pulled away before I messed up Mother's pretty design.

"Wow," I heard from the door, and I turned to see Jeremy standing there, staring at me.

I lifted up my skirt a little to show him my shoes.

"And the seaweed completes the elegance," he said. "Now I wish my hair could be braided."

I laughed. "You look great without the weed, Jeremy."

He was wearing a dark green suite jacket unbuttoned except for one near the bottom and a white long sleeved shirt.

His slacks matched his jacket, but he wasn't wearing any shoes.

I eyed his feet and gave him a questioning glance.

"I told Mom I was going to put on my shoes later. Yeah, right," he said quietly.

I laughed. "Let's go. Mom is probably waiting by the door."

And I was right, of course. Mom was waiting, tapping her silver flats on the floor.

She was wearing a dark green and silver dress.

Once again, I was the odd one out of the family.

"Don't you just look fantastic, Jeremy!" My mother smiled at him and adjusted his suit collar a little bit. "Are we ready to go?"

He nodded. "Of course."

We left the house and filled into the square. I slipped away from my brother and stood next to one of the twelve year-old girls I recognized from school.

"Hey, Journey," I whispered.

"Hey, Dylila," she replied quietly. "Are you scared?"

I shrugged. "Kind of."

"I'm really scared," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Because it's my first year…and I remember your first year."

I sighed. "Journey, that's not going to happen to you."

"Please, don't say that! You'll jinx it!" she squeaked.

A couple Peacekeepers walked by, and we fell silent.

There was a loud pang from up on the stage, and I looked up to see a woman in a dark red and pale blue dress that came out in giant folds and fell around her like a ball gown. She was wearing a huge hat that was dark red, purple and pink over her blue and brown hair. Her make-up was outrageous; she had pink eye shadow that went up and pressed against her eye brow until the eye brow ended and it flared up until it reached the top of her eye brow and ended on both eyes.

The shadow was covered in pale blue sparkles.

She tapped on the microphone and called out in a high pitched voice, "Hello, everyone, my name is Daphnia Pearlman. Welcome to the 56th annual Hunger Games! I know this must be exciting for all of you! Having this beautiful District to live in! Well, I hope you can bring even more pride to it by your victory! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be _ever _in your favor!

"Ladies first." She reached a long finger nailed hand into the bowl on her right.

Her finger nails were painted dark red and pale blue with gold designs on them.

She unfolded the piece of paper she chose and called out into the crowd through the microphone, "Dylila Gardens!"

My eyes grew wide and I froze, once again.

_M-Me? _Again_?! But…_I tried to calm down, _but a Career will take my place again. A Career will volunteer, right?_

But no one volunteered. And the crowd of girls began to part for me. And Journey looked absolutely horrified.

I started my slow walk into the isle, and the Peacekeepers came up behind me and guided me to the stage.

I climbed up the stairs and stood on the stage in front of everyone. The girls had filed back into place and my mom seemed slightly shaken up about it.

I couldn't feel anything. I was going into the Hunger Games.

They said I'd pay.

"Now it's time for the boys," she walked over to the bowl to her left and pulled out another piece of paper. She unfolded it and stopped for a minute. She stared at the name, but then she read it out into the crowd. "Jeremy Gardens."

_What? NO! _I thought, horrified. _He can't…we both can't be!_

And no Career volunteered for my brother, either. He climbed up onto the stage, and my mother broke into tears. She cried her head off into her own hands.

_Thanks, Mom, for showing you cared when I was picked. _

Jeremy stood up next to Daphnia and she said into the microphone, "Well isn't this strange? A brother and sister going into the games together! Well, shake hands, you two."

She backed away and we turned to each other. There were tears in his eyes. I could tell by the moisture of my cheeks that I was crying as well.

But I wasn't crying for me. I was crying for him.

And I knew he wasn't crying for him, either.

He put his hand out first and I took it.

We shook briefly, and then we pulled away and turned back to stare at the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your District 4 tributes for this year's Hunger Games!"

She started clapping, but no one followed. Instead, Journey touched three fingers to her lips and raised them in the air.

The whole crowd followed, even our mother, whose hands seemed to be the one thing that kept her head attached to her body.

Daphnia cleared her throat and took up off the stage.

_My brother and I are both going to the Hunger Games. _

_ One of us is going to have to die, for the other to make it home._

_ And neither of us are probably going to make it._

* * *

**Aaawww, I feel so sad about this...**

**THEY'RE BOTH GOING INTO THE HUNGER GAMES WHAAAATT?**

**;)!**

**Thanks for Reading!**


	3. Saying Goodbye

**Hey, everyone!**

**So, I'm really glad you've clicked on Chapter 3 of my Hunger Games story! Please make sure your safe from all the flying ninja hippos. They look like regular hippos, but they have rainbow colored eyes and they can fly! That's how you know! Have a nice day! ;)**

**I'm just kidding, I'm not crazy!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Saying Goodbye

"You have three minutes," I heard the Peacekeeper say, and Journey came in.

"Journey?" I asked. "I didn't expect you to be here."

She ran up to me so suddenly and gave me a hug.

Her tears stained my dress as she cried, and I hugged her and ran my hand through her hair.

She pulled her head away to look at me and choked out, "The-this is f-from your br-brother…"

I held my tears in for Journey's sake, then whispered, "Thank you."

"He al-also said h-he wouldn't w-win i-if it m-meant killing y-you," she whimpered.

"Journey, why are you so sad?" I asked gently.

"B-because you d-don't d-d-deserve this!" she buried her face back in my dress. I knew the sparkles must be hurting her face, but she didn't pull away.

I wanted to make her feel better. I wanted to reassure her that we'd both be fine, but I couldn't.

I was going to die in the arena, and I wasn't going to tell Journey otherwise.

And no matter what I said, no matter what I did, there was no way I could stop Journey's horrible shaking.

"Journey, would you do me a favor?" I whispered in here ear.

"Anything," she sobbed weakly.

"Would you ask my mom why she didn't come visit me?"

Journey whispered, "She didn't come?"

"No," I whispered.

Journey took a couple deep breaths. She backed away from me slowly. She seemed to have stopped stuttering. "That's _horrible_!"

"Journey, it's not that bad," I reassured her. "I got used to it."

"But your going to a place where you could die, and this may be the last chance she gets to speak with you, and she's not even going to _show up_?!"

"Journey-"

"How are you not crying? How are you not falling apart inside? How can you be there for me, _now_, when I should be here for you, because you need it!"

"I usually have my brother," I whispered, "to remind her that I exist in more than just context. But he can't remind her…and I bet you she went to see him."

"She was leaving when I came in. She was crying into her hands. I heard her say, 'I just want to get home,'" Journey wiped a tear off her cheek. "I thought she'd already visited you."

I shook my head. "Well, I hope you'll tell her that I wished she'd notice me, won't you? And tell her that I hope she misses me when I die on camera. And ask her not to cry too hard."

Journey looked a little troubled by what I was asking her to say, but I needed my mother to know.

Then she nodded. "Anything."

"The city will take care of you, Journey," I whispered.

The Peacekeeper opened the door and said, "Time's up."

Journey left, muttering, "I wish you'd noticed me…hope you miss me when I die on camera…don't cry to hard…"

The door closed with a hard clunk behind her, and I stood and waited. I just waited for the Peacekeepers to take me to Daphnia so I could ride in the car with my brother and know someone in my family cared about me.

Dad left…Mom neglected me…Jeremy is the only parent/role model I have.

And now we're both going to die.

Or, more than likely, I'm going to die.

He's smart. He'll live. He's brave. He'll live.

I'm stupid. I'll die. I'm cowardly. I'll _die_.

Right there, on camera, in front of my mom.

But how much do you want to bet she'll be getting a snack or using the bathroom when the cameras aren't on Jeremy?

It's a safe bet.

The doors opened and two Peacekeepers stepped in. They lead me out of the room, and down to where the car was waiting for me.

They opened the door and I crawled in. The seats were yellow velvet that looked awful against the black interior of the car.

I sat down next to Daphnia.

Her skirt took up most of the floor space, but I tried not to show my discomfort and waited for my brother.

"Dear," Daphnia whispered, and I realized she was talking to me.

_Actually_ talking and looking at _me_.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I hope you know how much of an honor this is. Even with the circumstances, and your brother and all, I just…I _do _hope you know how honorable this is."

I sighed. "I don't see the honor in dying for sport."

"You can't think like that and expect to live!" Daphnia squeaked. "You're strategy is going to save your life. Winning will bring so much glory to your District!"

_I'll just let my brother do that, _I thought. _He's been the honorable one in the family anyway, right? Just ask my mom. She's probably answer with a simple, "Dylila who?"_

The car door on the other side of Daphnia opened and my brother crawled in.

"Hello, Daphnia," Jeremy said curtly as the car started.

"Hello, young man," Daphnia said. "I do hope you're not dreading the Games as much as your sister."

Jeremy eyed me from over Daphnia. I shrugged.

He looked back over at Daphnia, smiled, and looked at the wall.

I looked out the window of my door and stared at the passing streets and buildings and docks and waters.

_Just let my brother do that…_I thought.

_Oh, please, whoever's listening, please let my brother go home._

* * *

**How come I always end my chapters with thoughts? With The House of Hades and with Bloody Water...:-/?**

**Anyway, aw, why does she feel like she's going to die? Only time will tell! And I can't believe her mother didn't say goodbye...:'(**

**Thanks for Reading!**


	4. Meeting the Mentor

**Hey Everyone!**

**So, this is Chaper 4...sorry, I've been kind of working on other things...like planning to make sure all my chapters fall into line for my House of Hades story (which you should totally check out if you've read Percy Jackson and like my stuff! I have a Mark of Athena, too!)**

**Well, thanks for being so patient with me!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4

Meeting the Mentor

"Now, it'll be really pleasant when you get there, I promise," Daphnia kept babbling about how beautiful the Capitol will be.

"And everyone will be super nice…" I zoned out and turned to look at the world speeding past us.

We'd moved from the car to the train, and the scenery passing by was a big blue of blue, green, and white.

Jeremy was sitting next to me in one of the four soft, brown leather chair of the dining car.

Daphnia was sitting across from us, and I learned that her skirt didn't have a metal frame in it, so it pressed flat against her slightly chubby thighs.

Her pink tights seemed like they were about to burst from trying to hold her legs, but I kept my opinions to myself.

I just really wished she'd stop _congratulating _us.

"Well, I'm going to go find Winchester," she stood up abruptly. "He'll want to meet you right away."

"Wait," Jeremy stopped her with his voice. "Winchester who?"

"Winchester Layman," Daphnia said, confused. "Why?"

I looked over at both of them, my face lit up.

_Winchester? Could it _actually _be him? We haven't seen him in years…_

Winchester was thirteen when he was picked for the Hunger Games. He had just started training as a Career. I was so surprised when he'd volunteered.

I guess I'd forgotten he'd won.

"Just bring him in as soon as possible," Jeremy replied, and she left, looking rather confused.

When the door slid shut, the room was really quiet, and then I realized this was the first time in a while where I've been alone with my brother.

I look over at him to find him staring at me.

"You know," he whispered, "Mom really could have been a stylist." My heart sank. "You look amazing."

_Mom_.

Should I tell him? Should I tell him how she didn't visit me and sent her a messenger with a morbid wish?

"She…she never came to see me," I choke out.

"What? No," Jeremy's eyes turned from happy to sad. "She told me she already had."

I shook my head. "Journey was my only visitor."

"Unbelievable," Jeremy whispered. "How could she _not _think to visit you? That's not right. That's not Mom."

_She just doesn't love me, Jeremy. _

"Of course she does, don't say that," Jeremy said, the sadness in his eyes changing to concern.

That's when I realized I said it out loud.

Jeremy opened his mouth to say something when he door slid open and a pair of pale brown eyes and dark brown hair came waltzing in the room. "Hello, tributes, I'll be your mentor, my name is-"

"Winchester, yeah," I cut in, smiling up at the boy who grew up in my childhood. "We know."

His eyes fell on my face and he smiled. His eyes welled up with tears. "Dyla?"

Winchester was the one that gave me that nickname in the first place. We met when we were little, and even though my brother could say "Dylila" pretty well, Winchester struggled with it, so my brother told him he could shorten it, and he started calling me "Dyla."

My brother's been calling me "Dyla" as well ever since.

That was maybe ten years ago.

I smiled. That's when I realized my eyes were kind of tearful, too.

Jeremy asked, "What about me, bro?"

"What?" Winchester asked, his eyes darting from me to Jeremy and back to me again. "But how did…?"

"We don't know," I said. "But we think it had something to do with the Careers."

"Those Careers are nasty people," Winchester whispered.

"They asked us," Jeremy said. "We both said no. That's why we think we're both here."

He shook his head. "That makes sense."

"Well, I'm glad to see you again," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm sorry I had to see you on these terms. Especially both of you," Winchester sighed, and he walked over to the chair across from Jeremy.

Before he sat down, Jeremy said, "But it is kind of nice, right?" and smiled.

Winchester nodded his head side to side and said, "Yeah, I guess it is kind of nice. But in a really sick way."

Jeremy laughed and stood up and gave him a hug. Winchester pressed his face into my brother's shoulder and whispered, "I missed you, man."

"Missed you, too," Jeremy replied.

They broke apart just for Winchester to open his arms out to me. He smiled at me. "Come here, Dyla. You're so much taller now!"

I rushed into his arms. It was good to have a familiar face on the train, other than my brother.

_My brother was five when Winchester came up with my nickname, and Winchester is a year younger than my brother, and it's been ten years since then, so…he's only fourteen?_ I thought.

"What year were you picked?" my brother asked as I pulled away from Winchester and sat back down in my seat, and he collapsed in the seat in front of Jeremy.

"Two years ago," he said. "The stadium was set for us to win, though. It was the one that was mostly ocean, with only a few very small islands scattered around. Remember? The only reason why the eighteen year-old Career girl didn't win was because she had so many weapons on her and she had so much muscle mass that she drowned. Plus the knife in her back I threw there forcing her to loose blood until she lost consciousness while she was swimming."

"So, you're how old?" I asked.

"Fourteen," he replied.

"You got picked when you were twelve?" I asked.

"Yeah, man," he ran a hand through his messy hair. "It was so unnerving for me."

Then he turned to me, and really looked me in the eye. "I was so worried last year when they picked you. So, so worried."

I blinked. Winchester was like a brother to me. I didn't want to make him worry, but it was nice to know that he cared whether I lived or died.

I was hoping that him knowing us will help us in some way. Maybe he would be more inclined to teach us more…strategies and survival skills than if we were just strangers.

"Okay guys, listen up," Winchester leaned back in his seat and pulled his leg up and pressed his foot up to his knee. "We need strategy."

"I know," I said. "We need something worth learning to help us stay alive."

Winchester nodded. "Okay, you all remember last year, right?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah. The old abandoned neighborhood? That was freaky."

Winchester nodded. "Exactly. The whole point of it was to weed out the tributes who were scared of the dark, or afraid of things lurking behind corners. That's what got the boy from our District.

"The girl was scared but not scared enough to give up and _wait _to die like he did. She fought until she thought she was over her fears. And then…"

I shivered at what those terrible kids from District 1 did to her. Cut off the head of his dead body and hung it by the neck on a rope and lowered it down in her face when she turned a corner, just to make her scream so she wouldn't hear the boy sneaking up on her from behind.

I was so upset when they stumbled upon the body before the craft could take it away. That rarely happens.

"How can we prevent that? How can we prevent giving into something that we're in control of, not them?" Jeremy asked.

Winchester sighed. "I don't know. I didn't have to do that."

"Well, we'll be okay," I said. "They won't do the same area twice. It's not exciting anymore."

"That's what I'm hoping," he said quietly.

"Well, what advice do you have for us first?" Jeremy asked.

"How about we start with a very important thing that I messed up on: Don't overlook the weaker competition. That girl from eleven almost killed me. And the girl from five nearly choked me to death. They have just about as great a chance as winning as you two do. I'm not saying don't be scared of the Careers; I'm saying don't forget about the others." He finished and stared both of us in the eyes, turning from one to the other.

"What's next on the agenda of life saving advice?" I asked seriously.

"I'd say getting sponsors…"

* * *

**Isn't it so nice how they're meeting tons of friends along the way? ;)**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! For _once_, I didn't end in thoughts! That's a mini-victory on my part. XD!**

**Thanks for Reading!**


	5. Training Winchester Style

**Hey, Everyone!**

**HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!**

**Make sure you hug your mother, or give her a call, or go visit! Today's the day you share the love!**

**And, also, Happy Birthday, Dad, I love you, too!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5

Training Winchester Style

"What _about _getting sponsors?" my brother asked.

"There are a couple tips that I failed to try," Winchester recalled, "that I can _certainly _recommend: make yourself memorable and make alliances on the battle field."

I nodded. "What do you mean, 'make yourself memorable'?"

"You're going to have to do some extravagant things to get these people to pay attention to you. Make them notice you, then make them like you, and you will survive longer. _That_, I can guarantee."

"But there's no guarantee that we'll win," I sighed.

"But we still can try," Jeremy protested, eying me. "We have to try."

I sighed and turned away from him completely. I couldn't face him, thinking off all this.

I absent-mindedly tugged at a couple pieces of seaweed in my hair.

"Well, I think the whole, 'being memorable' thing is already working for you guys. We have to enhance it a little more, though," Winchester commented.

"How is it working?" Jeremy asked.

I gave him a kind of look that made Winchester laugh. "We're the brother and sister of District 4. I _think _that's pretty memorable."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Miss On-Top-of-Everything, I wasn't thinking about it that way."

"Step one," Winchester said suddenly. "Always think of _everything _in every possible way. That's what makes your opponents so deadly, and what can make a simple tree branch your best chance at survival."

I nodded.

"Look, I know this must be rough on you guys. Work together. Make it count," Winchester offered us a weak smile. "It's the best we can do right now."

I nodded again.

"We love you, bro," Jeremy said, their eyes locking. "We won't blame you if we die. We're not trained. They are."

Once again, I could only nod.

"We're going to get through this, don't talk like that," Winchester replied. "Somehow."

I looked out the window.

Dusk was settling in.

"I'm going to head to bed," I stood up.

"Me too," Jeremy stood up and followed me out of the boxcar.

We found my room without too much difficulty.

"We're going to make this work," Jeremy said as a goodnight.

"Yeah, sure we are," I replied. "Goodnight, Big Brother. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I slid my room door closed and sat down on the nice bed.

It was nicer than what I had at home, but not by too much.

The sheets were softer, however. I liked that.

I changed and crawled under the covered. I wanted to think of peaceful thoughts to help me sleep, so I naturally tried to think of home.

But images of Jeremy were the only things filling my head.

"I'm going to die," I whispered to myself.

I looked up at the roof of my room. "If any higher power is listening right now, please, have mercy, and make it me."

_Let him win._

_ Let me die_.

* * *

I woke up tired and frustrated.

I showered and dressed in the bathroom attacked to my room, and made my way into the dining car.

I walked in on Daphnia fixing her make-up and Winchester telling some great jokes to Jeremy.

He burst out laughing as I sat down next to him.

"Hey, Dyla, what's new with you this morning?" Winchester smiled.

"Oh, nothing. Just motion sickness," I said sarcastically.

"Dear, you can't even tell this train is moving," Daphnia finally looked over her compact with me.

"I know, it was a…you know what, never mind." I sighed.

"Well, what's wrong?" she asked.

"We're. Both. Going. Into. The. Hunger Games! I really don't see what's to like about this situation!" I snapped.

"Oh, the competition is fierce between you and your brother, eh? Well, don't worry, one of you will out-live the other!" She said with a smile.

I wanted to throw the dining table at her.

Instead, I bit down hard on my lower lip and ignored my urge to lash out at her stupidity.

I didn't want to "out-live" my brother, I wanted him to live.

"Okay, we'll be arriving at the Capital soon," Winchester said. He folded his crape in half and bit into it, jelly leaking out the back end.

"So, what do you want us to do?"

"I want you to be a little friendlier. Be a little more…sad, about your situation. Don't beg for sympathy, but don't reject it, either. We want them to like you as much as remember you," Winchester replied as he wiped his hands on his napkin.

"Well, we're going to be arriving soon, so I suggest you get dressed, dear," Daphnia said to me.

I decided not to mention that I already _was _dressed. To my standards.

"What do you suggest I wear?" I supplied.

"Something nice, not too fancy. Maybe a simple dress?" she offered. "I like what you showed up in."

"I'm not wearing a dress until I need to," I muttered as I left.

* * *

I ended up wearing a navy blue blouse and black jeans. My closet had come fully stocked. I stared at the shimmery high heels and thin, strappy sandals. My eyes drifted to the sandals I'd worn here.

I grabbed the strappy sandals and pulled them on my feet.

I was fastening the straps when Jeremy knocked on the door and said, "Come look at this, Dyla! We're pulling into the Capital. It's gorgeous, you have to come see!'

He disappeared from the doorway.

I ran after him and met him at the window.

_The Capital_, I thought. _I can't believe it_.

* * *

**Back in that whole, end-it-with-thoughts groove, eh, Kimmie? Alright, fine, let it be so.**

**Thanks for Reading, and please HUG YOUR MOTHERS! **

**And, like I said, Happy Birthday, Dad, love you, too!**


	6. Arriving at the Capitol

**Hey, Everyone!**

**It's TTUUUUUEEEESSSDDAAAAYY! I had my Spanish final today, and I could barely focus on the beginning portion of the test because I was SO tired! It's not even funny how tired I was! I think I got a good grade, though...if I didn't pass it, I would have to retake it next year...XP**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6

Arriving at the Capital

The train station was packed with Capitol people in large skirts and outrageous shirts and fancy eye make-up for all.

I was disgusted, honestly.

"She looks like she's sunburned," Jeremy whispered in my ear, pointing to a woman with red foundation all over her face and bright green eye shadow on her eyes.

I laughed.

Lots of capitol people were nearly throwing themselves at us, trying to get a glimpse at us, and a few tried to touch my hair.

All the young girls were throwing themselves at my brother and Winchester, and I made me want to throw up.

One girl, however, was standing by the back of the crowd with a green carnation in her hands.

She was staring at me. But she wasn't staring at me like the others were. She cocked her head to the side and stared curiously at me. And then her gaze flickered to Winchester and then my brother, back to Winchester, and lingered on me.

She didn't make me nervous. She made me curious.

She had a pale blue gown looking thing on that clung to her hips and her bust and then fell in thin layers around her legs.

I couldn't see past her thighs because of the crowd, but the way she held her flower made me think it was important to her.

We were ushered through the crowd at a quick pace. I tried to ignore all the people that tried to touch my shoulders and my hair.

* * *

We finally reached our room, and Winchester made a grand sweeping gesture about the huge place. I looked around at the periwinkle walls and the soft, white, fluffy rugs on the dark brown wooden floors.

The dining room table had chairs that looked like they were made of twisted pink coral and the dining table was tinted green, as if to resemble sea-glass.

There were pictures and paintings of the ocean and the beach and underwater hung all along the walls, and there was a full length mirror by the doorway that led to a hallway.

In front of the dining table was a living room area with a flat screen TV hanging up on floor to ceiling windows, surrounded by a wrap around aqua couch.

All the lampshades were pink and the glass was green tinted. I could definitely sense what the accent colors here were.

"Impressive, huh?" Winchester asked us. "And this isn't even the pent house!"

_That pent house must be fabulous_, I thought, looking up at the ceiling, which was painted aqua, to match the couch.

"I need a glass of water," Daphnia looked around, her ball gown dress swishing was she did so. She called out, "Are there any Avoxes here, yet?"

A thick haired brunette came running in and nodded at Daphnia.

"A glass of water, chop-chop," she clapped her hands and the girl bowed her head and scurried off.

Rage boiled inside me. "You didn't have to treat her like that. Just because she can't talk doesn't mean she can't hear!"

My brother grabbed me in a hug from behind as Daphnia cocked her head to the side and gave me a confused once over. "Are you feeling alright, Dear? You've seemed a little…over dramatic, since we got on the train."

I wanted to scream at her, but Jeremy answered from right next to my ear, "She'll be fine, Daphnia, she's just recovering. Post Traumatic Stress, you know?"

Daphnia shook her head. "No, I don't know. What could have caused that?"

_I got picked for the Hunger Games, you witch! _I wanted to scream, I wanted to growl, I tried to wiggle out of his arms but he pulled me back to him and held me tight.

"Mother didn't come to say good-bye," Jeremy said quietly, and his eyes fell down on me with a soft look.

Understanding washed through me. He was trying to protect me from myself again. I had a habit of loosing things when times got rough for me, and he was always there, telling people watching it was Post Traumatic Stress and then he'd say something sad and I would pretend to break down and cry about it.

Sometimes it was real.

This time it was.

Tear welled in my eyes and I stopped fighting as I looked up at him. They ran down my cheeks and a soft moan lurched from the back of my throat.

All the anger seemed to be leached from me and poured into his loving eyes as he filtered out the anger and recognized my pain.

I collapsed in his arms and I just couldn't keep myself together much longer.

Jeremy cradled me in his arms and carried me from the main room.

We passed a sad-stricken Daphnia with a hand covering her mouth. But no tears from her eyes.

She didn't feel a thing.

And it would have ruined her make-up.

Winchester guided us from the main room and down the hall into the bedroom at the end of the hallway.

Jeremy placed me on the soft bed with a thick, royal blue comforter and I stared at the royal blue ceiling and the tears ran from the corners of my eyes, touched my ears and welled up a little inside of them before dropping onto the comforter.

"Dyla," Winchester reached a hand out and wiped a tear off the side of my face.

My lips were parted and my eyes were narrowed and I was thinking about Mom and how she didn't…even…think…about…me…

My breathing became harsh and my teeth gnashed and I kicked out at no one and I screamed.

I pounded my fists on the bed until my scream turned to sobs and I squeezed my eyes shut and I curled into a ball on my side and hugged my knees, each sob wracking my body.

"Dyla," Winchester's voice was calm but scared.

"She's fine. She'll be fine," Jeremy's voice was calm but sad.

I could feel him looking at me as another sob shook my curled up form.

"Has this happened before?" Winchester asked, his voice lower, more concerned than scared.

"After you left," Jeremy started, but then stopped. He took a second before starting again. "After you were Reaped, my mom got kind of quiet. I took over the responsibility of the house. Cooking, watching Dyla. My sister…she didn't know how to handle it. She started shunning Mom, just a little bit. Their relationship became distant, and when our mom kind of started getting back into it, after watching you win, she remembered thanking me for doing the work and taking care of the house and keeping my sister alive. But it was almost like she didn't remember my sister except in context.

"And that's how she got herself together. Dylila was kind of a vague memory. And from that, little Dyla developed a sort of version of abandonment issues. I learned this from watching, so it might not be perfectly accurate. And she'll get really defensive and really angry sometimes and lose herself. And after all those times I've seen them in the past two years, I've learned how to deal with them. This, however, this was not one of those things. This Dylila is going to need some getting used to. Just, pay attention to her, okay? And don't silence her when she's trying to talk. Even if she interrupts someone. She just needs to be heard."

"You said this wasn't one of her melt downs," Winchester commented.

"It wasn't, but don't call it that. It really is kind of a form of post traumatic stress. And abandonment."

"Sorry," Winchester whispered. "But what was this?"

"Dylila doesn't think the idea of Avoxes is right. At all. It horrifies her that they even thought about doing something like that to someone. And the way they treat them is even worse for her to handle. Actually seeing it…it made her mad. Made her want to snap back."

There was suddenly a hand in my hair, a hand I recognized to be my brother's. After I stopped shaking and I just laid there, he would run his hand through my hair.

"What did you do?" Winchester asked.

"I didn't want to see Daphnia getting seriously injured, or have Dylila turned into an Avox herself—it would ruin her—so I made her think of something really recent and really sad that she hadn't had her cry about yet. And that was Mom, not coming to say goodbye when we were leaving for the Hunger Games."

"She didn't say goodbye to you guys?" Winchester asked, shocked.

"No, she said goodbye to me. But not Dyla."

"How could she…"

"It all wraps back around to her growing back into her comfort zone. And the abandonment issues she had with Dyla. I tried to get her back. I tried to make her recognize Dyla, but it was brushed off like she wasn't even there. Dylila really took damage from that."

"Oh my God…"

"But we developed a bond," Jeremy ruffled the hair on the top of my head, and I wiped my eyes and sat up.

"We understand each other now, and it's nothing like any other brother-sister combo we've seen." Jeremy looked down at me. He smiled.

I looked at Winchester. "I'm sorry I've changed."

He opened his arms to me. "It's not your fault."

I leaned forward and gave him a hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

Jeremy wrapped his arms around us and he smiled into my hair. "I missed you, too."

* * *

**This chapter made me really sad writing this, so I hope you guys didn't get hit with a feels too hard...**

**Thanks for Reading!**


End file.
